Envelope opener



Patented Oct. 15, 1929 UNITED STATES RICHARD GLASSER, OF SANiFRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA ENVELOPE OPENER Application led September 17, 1927. Serial No. 220,219.

rEhe present invention relates to improvements in an envelope opener, and has particular reference to that class of openers in Which,through the co-operation of two blades, an eXtreme edge of an envelope is cut away and separated from the body thereof so -as to cause the envelope to be opened along an entire edge. The present invention more particularly constitutesvan improvement on my envelope opener described and claimed in my United States-Patent, No. 1,517,625, of December 2, 1924.

In4 my invention two blades arranged in transverse planes (3o-operate in cutting the edge of the envelope, and while in the former patent protection was secured on the means for imparting movement to one of the bla-des, it is proposed in the present invention to pro vide means for moving the second blade for better co-operation with the first blade in securing Cutting act-ion. It 1s urther preposed in the present invention to provide certain improvements in the arrangement of the second blade which allow the latte-r to be adjusted with a high degree of accuracy, and to be operated to better advantage. Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear as the specification proceeds.

The preferred form of my invention is il- 3 lustrated in the accompanying drawing, in

which Figure 1 shows a front view of my envelope opener with the front wall vpartly broken away; Figure 2, a vertical section taken along line 2 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3, a horizontal section taken along line 3 3 ot' Figure 1;

Figure 4, a perspective detail view of one cutting blade;

Figure 5, a perspective detail view of the co-operating cutting blade;

Figure 6, a sectional detail view taken along 5 line 6 6 of Figure l; and Fig. 7, a section along line 7 7 of Fig. 2.

Nhile I have shown only the preferred form of the invention, I wish to have it understood that various changes or modiiications 570 may be made within the scope of the claims hereto attached without departing from the spirit of the invention.

ln its preferred form, my invention comprises a housing 1 presenting a rear wall 2, a stepped front wall 3, a top 4, and stepped sides 6, giving to the housing the general form 5 shown in the drawing. Along each side of the housing are arranged two guide bars 7 and 8 forming a vertical guideway for the blade 9 shown in detail in Figure 4, which latter may be reciprocated by mechanism described in the above mentioned patent, and including a handle 11 pivoted in the sides of the housing at 12 and operating through a pin 13 on a slide 14 on the stem 16, which .5 latter slide becomes operative through links 17 on a second set of links 18 operatively connected through members 19 to two projections 21 rising from the blade 9, so that depression of the handle 11 causes the blade to move 7U downwardly over the resistance of a spring 22, which latter on release of the handle moves the blade upward to its original position. No claim is made forthis construction in the present application. Along the left side of the housing as viewed in Figure 1, and shown particularly well in Figure 2, there is pro- Avided a block or ledge 23, iiXed relative to the housing and 'formed with an upwardly projecting lug 24 spaced from the blade 9 by a m considerable distance. On the fiat surface `l 26 of this ledge, between the lug 24 and the blade 9, there isv'provided a sliding block 27 presenting toward the blade two spaced prongs 28, between which is hinged one end 31 of the second blade 32 shown in detail in Figure 5, a suitable ball bearing 33 being preferably provided underneath the hinge of the blade. The sliding block 27 is arranged invsuch a manner that the inner edge ot the l blade 32 just clears the descending blade 9. The amount of clearance may be adjusted to a nicety by means of a screw 34 threaded through the lug 24 and extending into a recess in the block 27 in which it is held'against endwise motion by a set screw 36 riding in a groove y37 in the screw 34. It will be seen that turning of the screw 34 moves the sliding block 27 in one direction or the other, according to the direction of rotation. To hold the ico CII CTL

sliding block 27 in its adjusted pomition I provide a second screw 38 extending through a slot 39 in the side wall into the slide, and drawing the latter toward the side walls.

A. cover plate 4l overlies the liront portion of the housing formed by the stepped side walls and has angle iron 42 secured 'to the underface thereof, which latter forms an abutment for two springs 43 bearing on the free end of the blade 32 for normally pushing the free end of the blade into the path of tae vertical blade, 9, the advance of the horizontal blade 32 being stopped by a guide 44 provided on the opposite sideoit the vertical blade 9. The springs 43 are guided by suitable pins 46 extending from the face of the horizontal blade 32. The extreme rtree end of the horizontal blade 32 rides on a ledge 47 provided along the opposite side G, roller bearings 48 being interposed between the ledge and the blade, and being accommodated in a pocket 49 formed at the end of the blade as shown in Figure 5.

The housing is mounted on a suitable base 5l preferably formed with a longitudinal slot 52 extending under the operating area o1c the two knives so as to allow the separated edges of the envelopes to be discharged 'therethrough. 1When not in use, this slot may be covered up by means of a removable plate 53.

The operation of my device will be readily understood from the foregoing description. The envelope to be opened is placed on the cover plate 41 so that its front edge lies up against the guide 44 on the far Isine of the vertical blade. While the machine is at rest the cutting edge o1 the vertical blade lies over the front edge of the envelope as indicated in Figure 2, and the horizontal blade naturally assumes a position with its hinged end just clearing the vertical knife, and its 'free end projecting into the path of the vertical knife and urged toward the guide 44. It now the handle 1l is depressed, the vertical knife descends and while doing so forces the horizontal blade out ot its way while cri-operating with the same for cutting the envelope. The result of the operation is the removal of an extremely narrow edge portion ot the envelope, and a perfectly clear cut. It will be noted trat where the blade 9 is reciprocated in the manner shown in the drawing, the cutting edge should be made inclined. If the vertical blade is operated in a different manner, as for instance with one end hinged, a straight cutting edge would co-operate with the horizontal blade in a similar manner.

I claim:

l. In an envelope opener of the character described, a blade hinged at one end only, roller bearings Isupporting the hinged end, antifriction bearings supporting the free end of the blade, yielding means operative on the blade and a second blade coacting'with the first blade for producing cutting action and causing the irst blade to retreat during the cutting action.

2. In an envelope opener of the character described, a frame structure having' a blade movable therein and a member movable transversely to the plane of the blade, a Isecond blade hinged in said member or cooperation with the first blade, means for adjusting the position of said member and means for locking the same in adjusted position.

3. In an envelope opener of the character described, a frame structure having a blade movable therein and a block movable transversely to the plane ol the blade having two prongs pointing toward the blade, a second blade hinged between said prongs for cooperation with the lirst blade, and means for adjusting the position of the block relative to the lirst blade.

4. In an envelope opener of the character described, a 'frame structure having a blade movable therein and a guide along one face ont the blade, a second blade hinged at one enl ttor .movement in a transverse plane `for co-operation with the lirst blade in producing cutting action and yielding means urging the tree end of the second blade toward the guide in combination with means for adjusting the position of the hinged end of the blade.

BICI-IARD GLASSER. Y 

